The next-door neighbor remembers Max

Georges Yared usually writes about investing at Blogging Stocks.

Today, he writes about Max McGee, the former Packers receiver and broadcaster who died a week ago:

"What I want to share, as his next-door neighbor, is the stuff of real legend -- the private Max McGee, the extremely generous Max McGee.

"Max's first success after his football life was to marry a wonderful woman named Denise. He and Denise have two sons, both beautiful and charming in their own ways. Max Jr. is 21 years old and has Down Syndrome. Max Jr. is the life of any party, and one of the nicest, sweetest human beings put on this earth. Max Jr. graduated from Minnetonka High School, a huge public school in suburban Minneapolis. Max Jr.'s popularity and kindness was acknowledged by his fellow classmates when they voted him king of the homecoming court. Max Sr., whom I saw a few days after the vote, had a hard time containing his tears and pride for his son. The tenderness between Max Sr. and Max Jr. should be the standard for every father-son relationship.

"Dallas McGee, 18, is a freshman in college. Dallas did not play football, but rather became a very skilled skateboarder. Believe me, I have seen him a thousand times, as my driveway served as an up-ramp! When Dallas was 2 years old, he was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Max and Denise immersed themselves in both knowledge of this disease and ways to raise huge sums of money to help with its research. Max McGee employed his competitive skills along with Denise's coaching, and the result was the opening in 1999 of the Max McGee National Research Center for Juvenile Diabetes at the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Millions of dollars have been raised to help fight this horrible disease. Max and Denise have informed, educated and comforted more families who have a child suffering from diabetes.

"One precious memory I have is of my then 10-year-old son playing catch with his idol. Another precious memory is of my 80-year-old father-in-law, Ken, a die-hard Packers fan, who could not believe my next-door neighbor was the great Max McGee. When I told Max of Ken's passion, Max made it a point to stop by when my in-laws were visiting and regaled him with 45 minutes of Packers stories. My father-in-law was in tears having met one of his football idols.

"Max McGee was a fit and vibrant man and belied his 75 years of age. He will be remembered for the love he showered on his family, his work for juvenile diabetes, his generous philanthropy, the good will he spread about the Green Bay Packers ... and, oh yeah, he played some football, too ..."

For more of our coverage of the life and times of Max McGee, go to our special section at PackersNews.com

-- Jeff Ash, jash@greenbaypressgazette.com